Artificial limb



R. N. FLANAGAN.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPucATloN FILED APR. 9. 1919.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

@140cm/ilo@ RobertN .Flanagan www UNITED STATES ROBERT N. FLANAGAN, OFCHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA.

ARTIFICIAL ILIIMB.V

Application led April 9, 1919.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT N. FLANAGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Charlottesville, in the county of Albemarle and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inArtilicial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to artificial limbs and more particularly toleg members, and consists in various improvements in the det-ails ofconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed;and further in the method of fitting employed to secure the desiredresults.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof andon which similar reference characters designate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a limb constructed in accordance with myinvention, with the lower portion broken way to more clearly illustrateits structure,

Fig. 2, a front elevation of a portion of the device, and

Fig. 3, a detail cross section taken on the dotted line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the foot portion, B thecalf portion, and C the thigh portion of the limb.

The foot portion A is composed of the foot form 10 of wood or othersuitable material, which is hinged to the calf portion B by means of atransverse shaft 11 which lies in sockets formed in the sides of thefoot form 10 and which is secured therein by means of an invertedU-shaped bolt 12 whose ends pass through perforations in a' plate 13mounted in a socket 14 in the under side of the foot 10. Nuts 15 aremounted upon the ends of said bolt 12 and bear against the lower side ofsaid plate 13 thereby rmly holding said shaft 11 but allowing it to havea slight rotary movement. Bolts 16 pass through alining openings in theshaft 11 and upwardly through a block 17 which joins the extreme lowerpart of the calf portion B as will be described further on. A bowed leafspring 18 is interposed between the portions 10 and 17 with its centralportion bearing on the shaft 11 and its ends supported on tension screws19 threaded into nuts 20 embedded into the member 10. The block 17 isheld firmly against the spring 18 by means of the bolts 16 beforementioned, which pass through perforations Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

serial No. 288,757.

in one of a pair of U-shaped members 21 forming the frame of the calfportion B and upon which nuts 22 are threaded. Similar bolts 23 passupward through the block 17 and through perforations in the other U-shaped .member -21 and are provided with nuts 24 for securely holdingthe member to the block 17. Cross braces 25 connect the upstandingportions of the members 21 slightly above the foot portion thereof toprevent spreading of the members. Perforations 26 are equally spacedadjacent the upper ends of the members 21 and are adapted to receivebolts '27 which pass through similar perforations 28 in members 29 whichcarry bands 30 and 31 holding a bucket 32 which is of frusto-conicalform, provided with a roll lrim 33 at its upper edge and an inturnedflange 34 at its lower edge. A plate 35 rests on the said flange 34 andis provided with a central opening through which extends a bolt 36 whichalso passes through a pair of slots 37 formed in a pair of cross braces38 which in turn are provided with down turned ends horizontally slottedat 39 to receive one of the bolts 27 which also secure the braces to theframe members 21 and 29.

It will therefore be readily understood from the above description thatthe degree of tension on the spring 18 may be easily adjusted to varythe movement of the foot portion A with relation to the member B andthat the said member B may be adjusted in regard to its length to meetany necessary requirements, also. the manner of mounting` the bucket 32which permits of its being secured at various degrees from theperpendicular to permit adjustment to secure the comfortable wearingregardless of the condition of the wearers limb, as should the wearersleg be bowed either in or out, as indicated bv the dotted line positionin Fig. 2 of the drawings.

While I have shown the limb as adapted for attachment at the knee itwill be under stood, of course, that it may be constructed forattachment wherever required by each individual case, and my inventionis as readily adapted for artificial limbs designed for attachment to aleg amputated near the thigh as one near the knee. In all suchinstances, the stub is apt to be more or less deformed and theattachment of the artilicial limb to the abnormal or deformed condition,so as to bring the main part of the limb to a normal or naturalposition, is what constitutes a leading feature ofmy invention. Itherefore employ a special method for fitting the limbs, which Iconsider essential in order to secure the most perfect results and animportant part vof my invention. Said method consists in maliinga castof the stub, to Which the limb is to be fitted, out of plaster of Paris,or other suitable material, and then making from this cast a form byfilling the cast or mold with melted metal, thus reproducing the stub inthe metal.V Around this met-al foi-m I Vfit the aluminum bucket, intowhich the stub is to rest, and so adjust the parts as to bring theartificial limb into natural position; By thisfmethod I am able to fitmy improved artificial limb to stubs of the most diiiiculty stantiallyas set forth.

2. The method of iitting artificial limbs Wliichconsists in making` acast or mold upon the stub to which the limb is to be attached,casting,` in said mold a metal matrigg conforming` With the stub,conforminga ductile sheet of metal upon said matrix and employing thesame as the bucket part of an artiiicial liinb.`

3. In an artiiicial limb comprising a skeleton frame, a bucket securedto the top of the Vframe and provided with means to allow the verticalaxis ofthe bucket to be inclined atyarious angles to, and in variousplanes containing the vertical axis of the skeleton frame.'

In Witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand andsea'l atCharlottesville, Vin ginia thisv 1st day ofApril, A. D. nineteen hundredand nineteen.

R. C. NICHOLAS.

